Shadow Hearts II: Missing The Family
by Tiger5913
Summary: Anastasia misses her family; Kurando helpfully solves her problem, and also learns something in the process. [Kurando x Anastasia - takes place after Shadow Hearts II: Summer Rain]


11/18/04

Disclaimer: The characters in this fic, such as Kurando, Anastasia, etc. don't belong to me; they are property of Midway, so don't sue! ;.;

Dedications: God, my friends, my cousins, my readers, Aruze for creating a sequel to this magnificent RPG – even despite the ending they chose to go off of – and finally, my birthday, which gave me sudden inspiration to write this little piece.

Special dedications to Beastman, for reading my Shadow Hearts II fanfics even though he hasn't played Covenant yet.

**Shadow Hearts II: Missing The Family**

**By Tiger5913**

"Are you all right?"

The concerned inquiry snapped the girl out of her slight daze, and she shook her head to clear her thoughts, intently focusing on the speaker. "O-oh, yeah! I'm fine, just… daydreaming."

"Hmm." Her companion quirked a brow in faint disbelief as he glanced at her curiously, wondering if she was telling the truth, since her prior expression looked a little wistful, like she had been thinking about a sad occurrence. That seemed out of place, though, as the young couple was currently in a peaceful setting, strolling through the gardens of Inugami Village together on their last day of rest before they were to leave and continue on a journey with their friends. The dark-haired samurai tried to remember if something that happened recently could still upset his fiancée to present day, but he couldn't recall any, aside from the brief conflict of his shocked response to their sudden engagement. Yet then again, that issue had already gotten settled and worked out, with both having reached a satisfying agreement to keep their relationship regardless, no matter the magnitude, so he doubted she was fretting over that.

He wanted to know what was bothering her in case he could help, but if she didn't feel like revealing anything, he wouldn't force her; instead, the young man attempted a light joke to try and ease the tension. "Well, as long as you're not daydreaming about other guys, I won't worry."

Her cheeks colored pink, though from astonishment and not guilt at all, and the brunette teenager protested heatedly, "I-I wouldn't do that…! I'm happy with you! …Um, er, I mean…" she turned away just then to gaze at a bed of flowers, embarrassed at her blatant admission.

The seventeen-year-old flushed a bit, but pleasure warmed his heart when he heard her feelings for him; in an effort to bring her front profile back, he apologized, "I'm sorry, Anastasia. I was kidding. I know how devoted you are. He he, maybe Yuri and my mother's behavior is starting to affect me."

Princess Anastasia Romanov reverted to her original position and faced her fiancé with a shy grin as she remarked, "You _do_ have half Hyuga blood, you know… if weird behavior runs in the family, then you'll get it sooner or later!"

"Yeah, I think you're right," he conceded with a slight nod, "but I don't really mind. Inheritance is just proof of my connection and relation to my family."

She giggled softly at his justification, but when that died down, the chestnut-haired girl glanced off to the side a bit and told him quietly, "Um, well, speaking of family… I was thinking about mine. I wonder how they're all doing, especially Alexei. I didn't get to talk to them very long last time when we stopped by Petrograd, so I don't know what's been going on or anything…"

"You miss them," was his clear conclusion.

She nodded enthusiastically while declaring, "I can't wait until we stop that crazy man, Kato, so we can all go home! I'll make Yuri return to Russia first, or else I'm going to fly that airship myself… Oh, I-I mean, I'll go back after your ceremony here, Kurando! I'd never miss the celebration of you becoming Inugami Village's new leader-!"

Kurando Inugami smiled gently at the Russian princess, understanding her need to see her family; she was courageous and independent, leaving home at a young age and traveling with a group of strangers to save the world. He admired her strength of character, and thought that same attribute probably appealed to his mother greatly, assuring her that the girl would be a valuable asset to their village in protecting the people of Japan from danger. Aside from that factor, she seemed fully aware of Anastasia's feelings for the young swordsman and obviously encouraged their relationship, seeing as she had preemptively arranged their future by getting them engaged. He was rightfully very surprised when he first found out about it, and still felt a bit nervous wondering what the Romanovs would think of him, but he decided to wait until he met them before worrying any further.

"Would you like to see your family, Anastasia?"

The braided brunette pursed her lips slightly as she answered with a sliver of longing in her voice, "Yeah…"

Kurando glanced off to the side with a thoughtful look on his face, and when he turned back to look at her, his smile had turned mysterious. "Come with me, I want to show you something…"

"What? What is it?" She immediately asked, but he shook his head in refusal to answer, and she pouted in response, although nevertheless followed him when he started walking down a path leaving the garden, as she was eager to find out where they were going, and why. The couple made their way through the village's main area and continued onward, and they were soon on a route familiar to Anastasia because she and her allies had used it several times before to get to the waterfall. The Fountain of Sukune was there, where the group of friends had first met Saki Inugami, the now-tentative leader of Inugami Village, who was also Kurando's mother, and helped them by locating one of their previous enemies at her own risk. The princess wondered why her companion was bringing her there now, since she obviously had no idea how to activate the fountain's mystical powers, and truthfully, she felt a little scared about going back, considering what happened last time…

When the pair arrived at the waterfall, Anastasia hesitated at the entrance, but went forward with an assuring nod from her partner, and they walked out onto the thin strip of stone floor, stopping at the end. She tentatively leaned over and peered down into the fountain, noting that everything looked normal, which eased her worries slightly, although with careful inspection, the surface almost seemed to be… shimmering? Could this fountain really find where her family was, and show them to her? Letting curiosity get the better of her, the girl squatted on her knees and reached her hand out to touch the water, but just as her fingers dipped into the wetness, the water pulsated faintly in response to her presence. Yelping in surprise, the young brunette lurched back, falling on her bottom, causing Kurando to chuckle lightly, who had been standing by and watching her the whole time, giving her the chance to rid her own fears.

"Nothing will jump out at you, I promise," he informed her in his usual quiet, patient tone.

"It-it felt like the water moved!" She exclaimed, and eyed her surroundings wearily as she slowly scooted away from the edge until she reached her companion's position, bumping into his legs.

"The fountain was probably responding to your wish," the samurai explained with a gentle smile, bending down a bit so he could place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It sensed what you wanted to see by your thoughts and feelings, and when you put your hand inside, the fountain felt your emotions, and it was beginning to locate your family so the image can come up on the surface."

Anastasia lifted her chin to look at him inquisitively. "I…I have to put my hand into the water to see them? I thought I had to dance, like your mother did…"

He shook his head and straightened up to his normal posture. "No, that was a different scenario… It was difficult to locate that demon, Astaroth, because of his level of power that allowed him to conceal himself, so my mother danced to lend her energy to the fountain and enable it to find him. Basically, she had to fuse her spiritual powers with the fountain, which lowered her defenses, so that's why Astaroth was able to possess my mother when he discovered her presence. In your case, I don't think you even have to touch the water; you just have to pray from the bottom of your heart to see them, and the fountain will search for your family."

"Really? Wow…" the girl appeared awed by the knowledge, and slowly arose to her feet, brushing off the dirt from the back of her dark blue coat before tentatively stepping forward, creeping toward the edge with interest. "So I just… stand here and pray?"

"Yes," he affirmed with a slight nod, and encouraged, "Give it a try."

"O-okay…" she murmured softly while idly glancing down into the fountain again.

Sensing her hesitation, and not knowing what caused it, Kurando asked her candidly, "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"No, you can stay. Maybe you can see my family too," she answered with a small grin, and then her expression turned serious upon thinking about the current situation at hand.

The princess closed her eyes and pressed her hands together palm-flat, then brought the union to her chest as she pictured her family in her mind, thought about how much she missed them, and wished to see them back at home, in the palace. She wondered what they were all doing during the time that she had been out saving the world with her friends; if her mother was taking care of everyone, especially little Alexei, and how her father was coping with the war, and so on. Within mere seconds of her silent inquiries, ripples made the water quiver, and the more she concentrated, the harder they shook, and then miraculously, an image began to appear on the surface, slowly coming into focus. When she heard faint noises, Anastasia quickly opened her eyes, and gasped at the sight: there were her parents, standing in the setting of the royal chambers, but how strange to see that right in the middle of the Fountain of Sukune!

"Mother, Daddy!" She cried out from amazement, as she knew full well that they couldn't see or hear her; at the excited exclamation, Kurando took a few steps forward until he was standing beside her, and watched the scene unfold as well.

The leader of Russia, Tsar Nicolas II, was walking around the room, along with his wife, Empress Alexandra Romanov, and talking to advisors as they seemed to be planning some sort of celebration by the decorations aligning the walls. Prince Alexei Romanov was strolling about the place at his own leisure, happily grinning and laughing with a few of the other bystanders, and appeared to be enjoying himself, much to Anastasia's relief. Their conversation was muffled, so the young couple couldn't tell anything that was being said, or confirm the event being commemorated, but the princess smiled fondly at them with shining eyes, apparently having inside knowledge. The dark-haired samurai turned to glance at her, wanting to see her reaction to the scene, and he was surprised to catch her dreamy expression, which made him think that she might know what was going on, and wondered if she would tell, should he ask.

"Your… your family appears to be celebrating something, Anastasia," he remarked deliberately, hoping she wouldn't mind that he wanted to know what was going on.

"Yeah…" she nodded, her cheerful grin widening as she speculated, "I think they're getting a birthday party ready for when I get back to Petrograd after we stop Kato."

"Oh, your birthday?" Kurando was a bit taken back at learning that little bit of information, and briefly wondered if he had enough time to get a present for his fiancée before she returned home. "Is it coming up soon?"

"Well, it already passed," the princess admitted and sheepishly ducked her head. "It was a couple of weeks ago, on June 1st, but I guess Mother and Daddy still want to celebrate with a party, even if it isn't on my actual birthday."

He nodded in understanding, and then returned his attention to the setting in the lake, commenting after a moment, "The decorations look very nice. I'm sure you'll have a great time. The man and the woman walking around and talking to everyone… are they your parents?"

"Uh huh," she confirmed with a gentle smile. "And you see that cute little boy? He's my younger brother, Alexei. I miss him a lot too, just as much as I miss Mother and Daddy…" a longing sigh escaped her just then, but she perked up at the thought of joining her family in the festivity of her birthday celebration. "Good thing I'm going home soon! Do you think I could be back there by next week?"

"Sure," the young swordsman replied agreeably. "We'll take care of business with Kato tomorrow, and then that just leaves my ceremony, but that only lasts one night. You can leave for Russia the very next day, if you'd like."

"Y-yeah, I probably will, but…" Anastasia turned to look at her companion with an adorable, pleading pout. "Kurando, can you go too, please? Come to my party, I mean? Mother would love to meet you, and I'm sure Daddy also wants to! And you can also meet Alexei, and my sisters, and my friends…"

He felt a bit overwhelmed at her enthusiasm of wanting to introduce him to apparently _everyone_ that she knew, and wondered just how they would treat the young princess' mysterious crush from Japan. The role of the Inugami successors was important and well-known, but only in their country, and outsiders weren't informed of their purpose in serving as the people's protector, so the samurai doubted that the Romanovs would be impressed with his status. But on the other hand, he did want to meet her family first and foremost, to see if they accepted him and the engagement, and getting the chance to spend time with his fiancée was far from a repulsive idea… Kurando glanced at the aforementioned girl now, and his inner protests instantly crumbled at the sight of her big, bright green eyes gazing at him so adoringly, and he instantly knew that he was lost, and just had to grant her request.

"Yes, I'll go to Russia with you." He answered, and her expression lit up in elation as the chestnut-haired teenager sprung at him, enveloping his form in a tight hug, which caused him to stumble back a bit, feeling flustered, but he wasn't displeased with her action.

"Thanks…" she murmured sweetly down by his shoulder, her cheek pressed against the smooth material of his hakama.

"Y-you're… you're welcome," came his wavering response as the swordsman thought of how he would have liked to return her embrace, but couldn't because she had his arms trapped and bound to his sides. His stuck position did allow him to notice what was going on in the fountain's scene, though, and when the picture shivered and became distorted, he informed the wisher in a low whisper, "A-Anastasia, the image of your family… it's starting to fade…"

At his words, the princess removed herself from him and quickly turned around to witness the truth of his words, but there was a peaceful look on her face rather than one of sadness or yearning. "That's okay. I still miss my family, but… but I'll be back home soon. Anyways, I got to see them here in the fountain, so I'm okay now…"

The young couple watched the surface as it continued to waver, and within a few minutes, the setting of the Russian palace was dissolved, allowing the fountain to slip back into its default state, peaceful and seemingly ordinary.

"Wow…" Anastasia sighed in amazement after a period of silence had passed, and her large emerald eyes kept gazing at the small body of water as if she was entranced. "I wonder where this fountain got its magical powers from… Do you think your mother might know, Kurando?"

"Yes, probably," he nodded in agreement, briefly wondering why he himself had never questioned the mystical powers. "If anyone knows, it would be her. For as long as I can remember, Mother has had a… special bond with the Fountain of Sukune."

"You're not sure, huh? Well then, I'm going to ask her!" His fiancée declared enthusiastically, and turned to face him with an eager expression. "Do you want to hear about the fountain too? I bet it'll be a fun story to listen to before we leave tomorrow!"

Kurando smiled gently at the boldness of her curiosity, while a mysterious glint flickered in his dark red irises. "I would like to, but since we're leaving soon, I need to get a few supplies and prepare for our confrontation with Kato. Yokohama has some interesting street shops, so I'm going there to look around."

"Aww, do you have to go now?" She pouted cutely, knowing that it was an effective weakness of her companion's.

"Yes, now would be a good time," he admitted, looking a bit flustered as he glanced away, trying to resist her adorable loveliness. "Yokohama is about an hour away, and I want to return here by dinnertime."

"Okay…" the braided girl relented, heaving a sigh, but a small grin quirked at the corner of her mouth. "Hey, since you're going there, can you pick up a few things for me too? I need some Thera Roots, Mana Roots, and maybe a few Pure Roots, just in case…" she trailed off as she slipped a hand into her pocket, and brought out money, extending it toward the samurai.

"It's all right, I'll get them for you," he decided generously, shaking his head in refusal to her offer. "And I'm sorry, Anastasia, but I'll have to be going soon if I want to make it back to Inugami Village in time."

"I know, I know, go ahead," Anastasia conceded with a slight nod, and as the duo started walking away from the waterfall area, she commented wryly, "Boy, it's too bad Yuri and the others took the airship with them. It was a lot easier getting around by flying, huh?"

"I agree." When they had arrived back at the entrance of the village, the young swordsman glanced at the sky and took inner note of the current hour, reluctant to leave his fiancée, but he had a special mission in mind, and needed enough time to complete it. "Well, you're going to see my mother now, right? Tell her hi for me. I'll come find you as soon as I get back."

"Okay, I will!" She promised with a wide smile, and waved to him as he turned to leave, the billowing skirt of her large blue coat swaying with the motion. "Be careful if you run into any monsters, Kurando!"

He smiled fondly at her concern, and even though his back was turned, the seventeen-year-old knew that she wouldn't go over to his mother's house until he was fully gone from sight. While others might have become impatient and hastened their step, he felt calm, his heart warm with growing adoration for her, and he certainly appreciated knowing that his significant other was watching over him so caringly. Once in the Forest of Wind, Kurando was more aware of his surroundings, keeping one hand near the hilt of his sword as his crimson orbs scoured the area, just in case a monster did indeed appear and attacked him. After a few minutes of tranquility, he relaxed slightly, enough to take a look at the position of the sun again, and he inwardly calculated how many hours were left until night approached and chased the light away.

_I hope the street shops in __Yokohama__ will have what I'm looking for…_ The dark-haired samurai thought silently to himself as he proceeded onward, quickening his pace to save some time.

Well, if he happened to take longer than expected, he _could_ use one of his fusion forms on his return to Inugami Village as a last resort… it was a good thing Tsukiyomi had the ability to fly.

**The End**

**Author's Note: **Yes, yet another Kurando x Anastasia fic. I'm obsessed, I know. XP I wrote this fic on my birthday to celebrate turning 18, and what a great coincidence that my favorite SH:C character has her birthday near the end of Covenant, allowing me to write this. :D Well, just in case any of you are wondering about the timeline, this fic takes place a few days after Summer Rain. Speaking of which, I was planning on writing a direct sequel to Summer Rain showing Kurando's reaction and how he dealt with the news, so if you readers want that, please let me know in your review. :) Thank you all for reading, and please don't forget to leave a review!

**With love for my fans,**

**Tiger5913**


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